Samsung reportedly releasing flexible display smartphone in 2013

Samsung is close to putting new handsets with flexible AMOLED screens into mass production, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The news comes from a source said to be ‘familiar with the situation’ who goes on to assert that the new handsets will be released in the first half of 2013.

The displays will be made of plastic instead of glass making it lighter, malleable and as a consequence virtually ‘unbreakable’.

Samsung first showcased this technology at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and also released a concept video which intimated its future plans to use this technology for tablets.

The Seoul-based manufacturer is not the first company to proffer this concept as both Sony and LG have produced prototypes using the technology. Apple has even filed a patent in August for a variant of this technology, as the application depicted an all-in-one iPad cover with a built-in flexible screen that is attached to a keyboard.

The South Korean manufacturer is hoping that this new innovation will set it apart from its competitors, who are also continually producing thinner screens.